


Something White and Black

by morrezela



Series: Padapanda Series [2]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, M/M, Mates, Schmoop, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 15:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/927976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morrezela/pseuds/morrezela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A timestamp to The Padapanda’s Courtship: Jared and Jensen go on a date to the zoo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something White and Black

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Русский available: [Что-то бело-черное](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7085095) by [Slavyanka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slavyanka/pseuds/Slavyanka)



> Disclaimer: Not mine, so not mine. The people mentioned in here? I wish them all the best in their personal and professional lives, but this is so far from real it is living on its own special planet.
> 
> Warnings: Werepandas, excessive sap. If this fic was a maple tree, I could make syrup from it.
> 
> Author’s Notes: This fic is the result of a request on my alphabet fic meme. The letter was “K” the word was “Koala.” Then, because I’m sneaky, I also wrote it to fit in with one of my new Hurt/Comfort Bingo squares. The square is “Cuddling.”
> 
> All mistakes that you find on this are my own.

In retrospect, the zoo might not have been the brightest of ideas for a date. Sure Jared had wanted to do something different, and at the time, strolling through exhibits with his boyfriend looking at all the animals had seemed like the perfect way to have an outing while still having the opportunity to talk freely. Dinner conversation always seems to fall into the same old rut, and the movies is the place where a couple of guys should keep their mouths stuffed full of popcorn. Or, in Jensen’s case, he likes to keep his mouth occupied on Jared’s neck.

Which, yes, Jared appreciates that Jensen is hot for him. He also appreciates that his dick will get it up for Jensen. He does not appreciate distractions while watching a film. This fact is not made better by the other fact that Jensen thinks his reactions are ‘adorable.’ “Aw, my growly little bear cub,” had been his exact words the last time that Jared had rebuffed his advances in the theater.

And yes, Jared is going to have to have a conversation about that with him at some point. Just… not yet, because he is still in that besotted phase of the relationship where all Jensen has to do to get out of trouble is stare earnestly at him with those eyes of his. It is very… diverting.

So the zoo had sounded like a good idea. Jared loves critters of all shapes and sizes, and there isn’t a panda exhibit. Not that Jared dislikes pandas. He loves them. But Jensen has gotten sort of awkward about them since he found out about Jared being a werepanda. Jared can understand the problem. It is weird to know that your significant other can turn into an ‘animal.’ Which is just complete bullshit that the media keeps feeding to regular humans because they can make it sound salacious with minimal effort, but whatever. Jared has learned to pick his battles.

Still, Jared can’t blame Jensen for having to process some feeling about the whole werepanda issue. Jared was born a werepanda, and he still had to go through some rough patches with the concept. The whole uncomfortable phase of figuring out the differences between his nature and a panda’s nature isn’t something that he’d choose to revisit. And, if Jared is honest with himself, he can admit that there is still the whole elephant in the room of him wanting Jensen to be turned so that they can be happily mated werepandas. Which, yeah, that is a big decision on anybody’s part. Jared does his best to never push, but Jensen still knows what Jared’s desires are in that area.

In any case, the zoo has no panda exhibits. Happy times were supposed to be had by all. For his part, Jensen seems to be having a blast. He is also being super attentive and affectionate and an all-around perfect boyfriend who has held Jared’s hand, bought him overpriced food at the concession areas and didn’t object when Jared spent way too much time in the petting zoo.

No, it is Jared who is having the issues.

It seems like everywhere he turns there are adorable baby animals. Normally that would totally be his thing. Cooing over little balls of fluff and cuddling with Jensen when he finds said cooing smile worthy is possibly the best date ever. But there had been little baby bear cubs at the beginning of the exhibits. They had been sweet and fluffy and growly and… Well Jared might not actually be a bear, but his momma has plenty of pictures of him and his siblings rollicking around in their bear forms when they were cubs. Seeing the fluffy cubs had tugged at a part of him that he has so far successfully hidden from Jensen - the part that really, really wants a family with baby cubs to call his own. He wants cubs that he can ship off to kindergarten and then council about racist pricks and then yell at when they become moody teenagers who slam their doors shut because Tommy Johnson dumps them for Cindy Forman.

His introspection has pulled his mood down, and no amount of Jensen’s handholding has gotten it back up again. There is likely a sex joke in there somewhere, but Jared’s spirits aren’t high enough for him to go looking for it. That he is killing his own date with Jensen is an additional irritant.

In front of him, a koala chews slowly on a eucalyptus leaf, and Jared wonders if maybe that is what Jensen sees every time that Jared indulges in his bamboo habit. Maybe he just sees an animal. Maybe Jensen, despite being Jared’s most perfect match, will just cling to his humanity and his quickie orgasms and his not-tied-to-mates sex life. Maybe Jensen will choose not to complicate his life just because he loves Jared.

“Hey, koalas,” Jensen comments as he wraps his arms around Jared’s waist. He is behind Jared, standing on tiptoe to rest his chin on Jared’s shoulder. Jared doesn’t need visual confirmation to know that his boyfriend looks ridiculous doing it.

“They’re not really bears you know,” Jared pouts. “They’re marsupials.”

Jensen laughs. “Did somebody switch our personalities this morning? Because normally I’m the pessimistic one in this relationship.”

“Sorry,” Jared says as he tangles his fingers together with Jensen’s on his stomach, “I’m being stupid.”

“You’re allowed,” Jensen answers, “to be stupid sometimes. I’ll still love you.”

“And give me awkward back cuddles in public places?” Jared teases, trying to bring some levity back in their date even if he can’t get it back into his heart.

The arms around his waist squeeze just a little harder in response, and Jensen digs his chin into the edge of Jared’s clavicle.

“My back cuddles are legendary as evidenced by the fact that I am almost always the big spoon.”

“You’re the big spoon because you’re a toppy bastard who I let have his way because you drive forty minutes to bring me fresh bamboo from that little market in Hooperston,” Jared corrects.

“I know. That is part of what makes my back cuddles legendary. I am the most wonderful, perfect, doting, loving boyfriend that you will ever find.”

“And modest too,” Jared quips.

“So,” Jensen continues as if he hasn’t heard Jared’s words, “with how wonderful I am in mind, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering a question for me.” His arms leave Jared’s waist as he takes a step away. The weather is warm but breezy. The wind almost instantly steals away any warmth that Jensen’s embrace had given to Jared, making it nothing more than a memory.

When Jensen doesn’t say anything more, Jared almost trips over himself as he spins around to see what his boyfriend is doing. A demand for an explanation on why he has just been robbed of his bad day cuddles dies on his lips as his gaze falls upon the sight of Jensen down on one knee holding a ring box in his hands.

“I know that we aren’t traditional and that you aren’t a girl. But I was raised that when you ask, you ask right. When you get married, it is forever. When you find the one, you don’t let go. So I’m asking you, Jared Padalecki, if you’ll marry me.”

“Fucking bastard,” Jared chokes out. “You’re making me ugly cry at the zoo,” he sniffles as he yanks the ring box out of Jensen’s hand.

“Those are happy tears, right?” Jensen asks as he awkwardly gets up from his knees.

Jared ignores him in favor of looking at the ring. It is a plain gold band, wide enough that it doesn’t disappear when he slips it on his finger. It is with great reluctance that he pulls it off and puts it back in the box again.

“Jared?” Jensen’s voice cracks on the question, full of worry and confusion.

“You know I can’t take this, Jensen. I…”

“You are the world’s most forgetful Padapanda, and if there weren’t so few of you, I’d have to have you locked away in the crazy ward for your own good,” Jensen finishes for him, reaching out to curl Jared’s fingers back around the box that he just tried giving back.

Jared glowers at the nickname that Jensen refuses to give up on, but otherwise keeps the box in his hands. It isn’t like he wants to give it back. He just can’t accept a lifelong commitment without a lifelong commitment. Sure, he could be with Jensen for the rest of his life with Jensen remaining human, but he knows himself. Someday his cravings for a werepanda mate are going to start seeping into their relationship. He’ll start pushing Jensen to change, and that isn’t going to end anywhere good. It is best they settle their issues before they get married.

“I told you that I wasn’t going to change until you bought me a ring,” Jensen tells him. “But then I realized that you are epically slow at moving forward in our relationship, and I figured I’d have to be the one to take the next step. Again,” he tacks on with fondness, leaching out any hurt the word might cause.

“You mean?”

“I mean I’m ready now. This ‘us’ isn’t going away, and I don’t want it to. I want to grow old and black and white with you,” Jensen tells him.

Jared doesn’t have any other answer for that but to pull his mate into a giant bear hug. Screw what the marsupial in the tree thinks; he is a happy Padapanda.


End file.
